Bodkin / Patterns

House Fly

Terrestrial · Trout · Panfish · Beginner · 2 versions

Classic Recipe

• Hook standard dry fly, 12-16
• Thread black 8/0

Materials

• Body One or two strands of peacock herl (or black dubbing) (rear two-thirds)
• Wings Grey duck/mallard quill slips or dun hackle tips, tied flat and splayed (2 slips)
• Hackle Grizzly cock hackle (1 feather, 2-3 turns)

How to tie it

1. Start the black thread and tie in one or two strands of peacock herl at the bend.
2. Wind the herl forward to the front third to build a plump, dark, iridescent body suggesting the fly's fat abdomen, then tie off.
3. Tie in two short grey quill slips (or dun hackle tips) flat over the body, splayed slightly to each side to mimic the house fly's outspread wings.
4. Tie in a grizzly hackle and take 2-3 turns for the legs, then secure and clip.
5. Trim the hackle flush underneath so the fly sits low in the film, whip finish and cement.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Gregg Dressing (1940).

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